The Last Outpost
' |image= |series= |production=40271-107 |producer(s)= |story=Richard Krzemien |script=Herbert Wright |director=Richard A. Colla |imdbref=tt0708804 |guests=Armin Shimerman as Letek, Jake Dengel as Mordoc, Tracey Walter as Kayron, Darryl Henriques as Portal and Mike Gomez as DaiMon Tarr |previous_production=Where No One Has Gone Before |next_production=Lonely Among Us |episode=TNG S01E05 |airdate=17 October 1987 |previous_release=Code of Honor |next_release=Where No One Has Gone Before |story_date(s)=41368.4-41368.5 (2364) |previous_story=Where No One Has Gone Before |next_story=Lonely Among Us }} =Summary= The Enterprise is in pursuit of a Ferengi vessel which has stolen an energy converter from an unmanned Federation outpost. While the Ferengi were known to the Federation, this is the first contact with the species, and the Enterprise crew finds the Ferengi appear to be at a similar technology level as themselves. As the chase passes the planet Delphi Ardu IV, both ships suffer from power drains causing them to come to a halt. The crews of both ships initially believe the power drain is caused by the other vessel, but Captain Jean-Luc Picard realizes that the Ferengi are as confused as they are, and orders the crew to investigate the planet. Operations Officer Lt. Cdr. Data reports that the planet seems to have once been a remote outpost of the "Tkon Empire" that became extinct 600,000 years ago. Picard contacts the Ferengi and gets them to agree to mutually explore the planet below to try to find the source of the energy drain. On the planet, the away team is momentarily separated due to effects of the energy field on the transporters. They regroup but are attacked and bound by the Ferengi, believing the Enterprise crew was planning an ambush of their own. The away team break free, and begin to exchange weapon fire, but the energy expelled is absorbed by a nearby crystalline tree-like object. Data investigates the tree and awakens an entity that displays itself as a humanoid and calls itself Portal 63, "a guardian of the Tkon Empire." Portal 63 asks the two groups if they seek to enter the Tkon Empire, and does not comprehend when it is told that the Tkon have long since disappeared. The Ferengi accuse the Enterprise away team of being a hostile force; Commander William Riker admits that they are hostile to the Ferengi, inadvertently confirming humanity to be indeed hostile in the eyes of Portal 63, who steps forward, appearing ready to attack Riker and claims his species is barbaric. Riker responds with a quote from Sun Tzu, "Fear is the true enemy, the only enemy," while keeping from flinching as the attack comes. Portal 63 accepts this and stands down from the challenge, satisfied that the Federation is civilized, and allows the Enterprise to go free. It further offers Riker the opportunity to destroy the Ferengi vessel, but he declines on the grounds that the Ferengi would learn nothing from such an action. Both away teams return to their ships with power restored, and the Ferengi return the stolen energy converter. As a means of ironic thanks, Riker suggests sending the Ferengi a box of Chinese finger traps, a toy that fascinated Data when he became stuck in one earlier in the mission. Errors and Explanations Plot Oversights # La Forge taking over Engineering due to the apparent absence of the chief engineer. The chief could have gone to check power systems in the rest of the ship. ' # Yar responding to Data's 'Red, White and Blue' remark by asking what primary colours have to do with it, despite White not being a primary colour. '''White may not be a primary colour, but Red and Blue are. ' # Data’s lack of response when Riker was calling out to the rest of the Away Team. 'This could be due to him concentrating on checking his surroundings. ' # The Away Team not using their communicators and Tricorders after materializing on the surface. 'They could have been temporarily overloaded by the power drain, which is probably stronger on the surface. ' Changed Premises # This incident being the Federation's first look at the Ferengi. 'This episode contains the Federation’s first ''confirmed contact with the Ferengi. ''' # Non use of the swoop and duck motion after this incident. '''This motion only applies to use of the whip. Equipment Oddities # The Turbolift doors opening before La Forge reaches them. The computer registered Picard asking La Forge to report to engineering. ''' Continuity and Production Problems # The ships being lit from the left side of the screen, but the planet being lit from the right. '''There must be a second star in the system. Internet Movie Database Character error # Geordi begins giving orders in engineering as if he were the chief engineer. He has not yet been promoted into this position. (IMDB) It is possible that the ship doesn't currently have a qualified chief engineer, and Geordi's attitude seems to indicate he was already training for this upcoming promotion. Factual errors # The crew gather together as life support fails and the ship loses heat. However they are seen gathering together in a compartment with windows and a sloped ceiling indicating that these rooms are adjacent to the outside hull of the ship. These would be the rooms to avoid in this type of emergency. You would want to gather together as close as possible to the center of the ship, or as far as possible from the outside hull. Without working sensors and internal lights, the crew would need to be near windows, in order to use the light from the star to see what they are doing, and to keep watch of the surrounding area, so they can possibly signal any other ships that approach. Plot holes # The premise of this episode is that the Enterprise crew is attempting to recover a piece of stolen equipment. Replicators would make such a recovery pointless. The equipment is not rare or valuable. It would be far easier to simply replicate a replacement. Due to the risks of damage to the ship, loss of crew member, and of starting a war the recovery of the equipment is not justifiable. There is a very important principle at stake here. Starfleet - and by extension the Federation - need to make it clear that theft of their equipment will not be tolerated at any cost, as failing to apprehend the thieves will make the Federation look weak, and increase the risk of attacks from their hostile neighbors. # The Enterprise is supposedly drained of energy, but its artificial gravity still works. 'As stated in Chapter 12 section 3 of The Star Trek The Next Generation Technical Manual (Gravity Generation) (page 144), the gravity system is designed to only require an occasional synchronising pulse from the power system once every sixty minutes, and can continue working in the event of total power loss for up to four hours. ' Revealing mistakes # When Doctor Crusher says that they "...won't have to worry past 70 below...", Picard replies that "It feels like that now." One would expect that if it feels that cold, their breath would be visible. 'Just because it feels that cold compared to the usual temperature, it does not automatically mean that it ''is that cold. ''' Category:Episodes Category:The Next Generation